


Love, and other complicated things

by ravenpuff1956



Series: It's complicated [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-02 05:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16780645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenpuff1956/pseuds/ravenpuff1956
Summary: Tina has been handed a case- but it's in England. Where Mr Scamander is. Who's engaged. How on earth can she take it? What she comes home to, may change her mind.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea about what Queenie said at the beginning of Crimes of Grindlewald. 'Teen and I aren't talking'. I just found it so incredibly sad that they obviously had a falling out, yet Tina was obviously still trying to contact her, and cared about her 'thinking of you', 'love Tina' on the post card. But Queenie was angry enough to rip up her post card, but still brought it all the way to England.  
> So I wrote the fight, and then thought about a story that could go with it, so yay!  
> Before Crimes of Grindlewald. Newtina eventually, and some cute bits with Bunty and Tina eventually too. But also angst-especially in this chapter.  
> Enjoy!

Tina closed the creaky front door to the boarding house thankfully, her nose nipped red from cold. She bumps her hip on the door knob, hard. Nope, still not as painful as thinking about a certain Scamander. Damn. She’ll have to try again tomorrow. If it isn’t enough that she has to sit through her co-worker’s saucy gossip, about that ‘beast-man’ who's getting engaged to that beautiful ‘French pure-blood’. Now the man is losing her job opportunities.  
Madame Picquery had summoned Tina, in front of her astounded co-workers, to her private office. She was so in shock, her new partner, Achilles’, actually had to push her towards to door. Auror’s only get bidden to her office if they’re getting assigned to an important mission (or if they’re getting fired- she had been pretty sure she wasn’t that). Tina had been unfortunately correct.

“We’re going to send you out, to find Credence,” the president had said briskly, handing a case file into Tina's shaky hands. She'd almost fallen out of her chair.

“Credence is dead,” she’d whispered, leaning forward intently. 

“That’s what we thought too,” Picquery said, tilting her hands into a point, “But our sources in Europe have informed us of explosions of power appearing in Paris- and all signs point to that young man,” Tina sat gobsmacked. She had thought she’d failed him. But here was her chance, a chance to help that broken child who just needed love. 

“We’ve chosen you,” Picquery continued generously, “since you have a known bond with him,”

“Thank you so much!” Tina had gushed, eye’s shinning with enthusiasm. Her government was finally respecting her, finally trusting her enough to let her-

“So you’ll be joining Theseus Scamander’s team at the ministry of magic and-“ Tina heard an anxious buzzing in her ears.

“What?” she’d asked breathlessly, interrupting the president’s spiel.

“You’re going to be transferred to Britain to assist them in the search,” Picquery told her blankly, cocking an eyebrow.

“I can’t go to England ma’am, I mean” Tina had backtracked frantically at the frown on her bosses face, “my sister will be left alone, and, and, where would I stay?” was her voice squeaking or was she having a panic attack?

“We’re going to set you up in a female boarding house I believe,” the president shuffled her papers around, “and as for your sister, Miss Goldstein, you’re both adults. She’s not a child,” 

Tina stared at the sharp corner of the gleaming desk and nodding mechanically.

“I thought you’d be pleased,” she’d continued suspiciously, “I understand Theseus Scamander is the older brother of a certain magiczoologist,” Tina had never found wood so interesting before, “I understand the two of you have been in contact with each other, surely this would give you an opportunity to catch up with him,” Tina swallowed painfully, her throat dry.

“Yes, Madame President,” she'd said tonelessly.

“I suppose,” the President said slowly, “I could give you the weekend to think about it,”

“Thank you, Madame President,” she’d replied.

“But understand Miss Goldstein,” the magjestic woman had leant back in her chair, “I’m very disappointed. Dismissed,”

Tina’s fingernails had bitten into her palms as she’d made her way through the crowded work rooms, eyes focused intensely on the floor. She wasn’t going to cry, at least not until she’d reached the bathroom. 

Shaking herself to the present, Tina trudged up her apartment’s stairs, feet aimlessly dragging behind her. Her mind however, was running like a treadmill. If only the job was just based in Paris! Then she’d be off like a shot. She’d do anything to assist Credence. She’d do anything to prevent him from getting wrapped up in Grindlewald’s talons. But to go to England. England.  
Her day dreams used to be filled of being handed a job like this. Her and Newt could meet at small table in a ‘pub’, pouring over his book together. Her listening raptly as he passionately described his creatures. Maybe she’d even gather enough courage to hold his hand, then he’d blush and lean in…  
Now, instead, it’s one of Tina’s nightmares. She’d walk in and there they’d be- wrapped around each other. Newt would introduce her: “Leta, darling, this is Miss Goldstein my friend- only ever a friend- from New York. She’s an auror, so I could never properly like her, and I stopped writing two months ago because I’m so in love with you!” then they’d kiss and ride off into the sunset on a glowing Pegasus.

Bit dramatic there, Porpentina, the little voice in the back of her mind states dryly.  
Yes, true, Tina thinks back sadly, it’d probably be even worse.

Newt would be kind and nice and clever. They’d reminisce about their adventures in New York and discuss their letters. He might even smile at her slightly, in the sideways way he does. But then his eyes would catch someone in the distance, and they’d light up like the sun at seeing his beautiful fiancé. He’d walk over, and kiss Leta sweetly, and she’d join them. And Tina would have to watch them being perfectly nice, and perfectly together, and Tina would have to act as if her heart wasn’t smashed into tiny little pieces on the floor. 

Yeah, that’s more like it, the little voice says unhelpfully.  
“Mercy Lewis, Queenie better have a bottle of wine open,” Tina groans, accidentally lumbering on the step that always squeaks. 

“Who’s there?” shouts her land lord, aggressively.

“It’s me, Mrs Esposito,” Tina replies, tiredly.

“Who?” she yells back.

“Tina?” Tina says hesitantly, taking a step backwards to stare at the shadow in the doorway. The old lady steps into the light, surprise written all over her face.

“Oh dear, it’s you,” she says, obviously confused.

“Yes, I just got back from work,” the old lady’s brow is still furrowed, so Tina feels inclined to ask, “Why?”

“It’s just… your sister said you were with her when you got home,” 'What?' Tina thinks, mind boggled. She can’t remember Queenie saying anything about inviting guests over tonight. But to be fair- Queenie has been a bit distant lately, mainly just mind reading, instead of actually having conversations with her. Suspicious herself, Tina forces that feeling down because of the clear fear in Mrs Esposito’s eyes: stranger danger, they say. Or even worse male, stranger danger. Not wanting a no-maj searching through their thoroughly magical apartment, she decides to cover for her sister.

“Oh, I remember now. I did come back with her, but I forgot some case files at the office,” Tina warbles, crossing her fingers behind her back. 

“Right…” Tina can tell she doesn’t believe her, and so bounds up the stairs before she can get bombarded with any more questions.

Bursting into her apartment, her burgeoning annoyance with her sister and completely frayed nerves were not ready for the sight that met her eyes. Her baby sister, passionately kissing a man on their couch. And not just any man. Jacob Kowaski.

“What the actual fuck!” Tina shrieks. She hardly ever swears. But there’s always exceptions to the rule.

Jacob is frantically attempting to recede off her sister, doing up his waistcoat buttons in the wrong holes, refusing to meet her eyes. Queenie however, to Tina’s intense frustration, is almost casually re-arranging her clothes back together.

“What is this?” Tina asks faintly, leaning against their hat stand for balance.

“He remembers me Teenie,” Queenie says, reaching over and squeezing Jacob’s hand, beaming widely, “he remembers everything,”

“Well basically,” Jacob intersects, but backing down at the heat of Tina’s glare.

“But it means we can be together Teen, ain’t it wonderful!” Queenie coos, laying her head on Jacobs shoulder. Tina sets her jaw.

“No, Queenie, it’s not,” She says sternly, “What on earth were you thinking?”

Queenie, puffs out her cheeks in exasperation, rolling her eyes like she’s twelve.

“I knew you’d react this way,” she says huffily. Tina’s blood pressure reaches breaking point. 

“You knew-,” She begins to raise her voice.

“Baby, I’d better get going,” Jacob says glancing between the two sisters nervously. Queenie kisses him on the cheek. 

“Yes I think you must,” she says stonily, “use the spatula,” she waves her wand in an arch, and the wooden spatula, sitting on the coffee table flashes a bright blue. Before Tina can blink, Jacob touches it and evaporates. A portkey. 

“Mind telling me when you got permission to do that?” she crosses her arms across her chest.

“You and your rules,” Queenie clicks her tongue, “you know I don’t care as much as you do about little things like that,” Tina throws up her hands.

“Mercy Lewis, it’s not about caring Queenie, it’s about following the law,” Tina spits, “speaking of,” she gestures sharply to where Jacob was sitting. 

“What about it?” Queenie says equally furious, ”I love him, and he loves me. There’s nothing else to say,” 

“Actually I believe there’s plenty more to say,” Tina yells, then hears herself, and takes a few deeps breaths to calm herself. Finally when her heart rate returns to normal, she sits down next to her sister and places a hand on her leg. Queenie moves minutely away, and Tina buries the hurt unsuccessfully. They sit in silence, for what seems like years. Tina can't remember the last time they really fought. She thinks it might've been before their parents died. 

“Queenie, where do you see this going?” she asks softly.

“He wants to marry me, Tina,” she says resolutely. Tina bites her lip, knowing that her sister being able to hear her thoughts, will not make this easier. 

“Sweetie you can’t,” she begins.

“And why not?” her sister blows, “he’s a decent person! The law is rubbish, just because he doesn’t have powers," she says the word, 'powers' sarcastically, throwing her wand on the ground. Tina stays silent, watching the wand roll away. 

"We’ll keep it a secret,” Queenie sounds far away now now. Tina can almost picture her planning out their whole life together.

“And what about your children, Queenie? What happens when they have to go to Ilvermony? What happens when their friends ask who dad is?” A nasty thought hits her- Queenie hears it before she can shut it out.

“And what if they’re no-maj’s” she sneers, “I thought you were better than that, sister,”

“I didn’t mean it like and you know it,” Tina says stung, “but…can’t you admit how hard this is going to be? What if you end up in jail and Jacob's left mindless, and you’ve got three young kids with no parents and no home?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Queenie says hastily, and Tina scoffs.

“You can’t date a no-maj, Queenie,” she says running her hands over her face tiredly. 

“Well at least I’m trying to be with the person I love,” she stands up, and kicks the coffee table, “talked to Mr Scamander lately?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tina glares at her.

“You can be with that man. Yet you’re being a coward, sitting here doing nothing about it! No one in our world would care if you two got married, but Jacob and I…” she trails off hands on her hips.

“He’s engaged Queenie,” Tina says quietly, “I’m not being a coward, I’m attempting to save my feelings,”

“If you had any feelings you’d be in London, in his arms right now! I read those letters you sent him, nothing about how you actually feel, all about cases you’ve been assigned to and what spells you preference. No wonder the man forgot you,” Queenie cries, two red spots appearing on the tops of her cheek bones.

“Shut up,” Tina says eyes filling with tears. Newt said he liked her spell preferences. 

“That Leta person,” Queenie says nastily, “she loved her you know, obsessed with her. She did him wrong, there’s no doubt about that, but I bet she actually flirted with him. It probably wasn’t long until he fell into her arms again, with you the way you are. Won’t even help your own sister because of ‘the law’”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” Tina screams standing as well, tears tumbling down her face, “I would help you, I would Queenie, you have to know that, you’re my little sister! But I can’t help you be with someone you can’t have,” 

“I can be with him!” Queenie shrieks, “you just won’t let me! You and your ‘auror buddies’! You know that’s probably the reason Newt doesn’t like you. What’d he write to you again? A bunch of ‘Careerist hypocrites?’,” Tina bottom lip trembles.

Queenie’s won and she knows it, staring slightly smugly out the window. Tina feels an sudden burst of intense range at her sister, that she’s never felt once in her whole life. They’ve always stuck by each other. Always. She’d always knew Queenie sometimes abhorred her vigilant rule following, but she’d never said anything. Always said what she thought, but leniently. She’d never gone in for the kill. Tina bites her tongue and shoots her and evil thought, regretting it instantly. Queenie falters, her jaw dropping, but only for a second.

“I dare you, to say that out loud,” She says, dangerously calm.

“Queenie,” Tina whispers, “You know I didn’t mean it,” he reaches out a shakily hand to brush her sister’s hair out of her face. Queenie slaps it away.

“Bitch,” Queenie nods her head slowly, “there. I said it for you. It’s nice to know at least one of us has the courage to say what they think,” unable to bear it anymore, Tina gasps out a sob and runs to her room. 

Blinded by tears she pulls a suitcase down from their wardrobe, and begins stuffing all her worldly belongings in it. On top she places gently, a picture of her and a young Queenie smiling happily at each other. After debating for a spilt second, she also tucks in her worn copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them. Lugging out the bag, into the lounge room distraught, she finds Queenie calmly preparing dinner at the stove. Her eyes are empty. 

“I’m leaving for a case,” Tina says tremendously into the silence, “I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Queenie doesn’t move.

“I can’t stay here, Queenie,” Tina fights out, “but I’ll write, every day if you want me too,” Queenie shrugs. 

Tina walks briskly over, giving Queenie a hug around the waist. Queenie stands as still as a statue, as Tina squeezes her tight. 

“I love you,” she murmurs wetly in her blonde hair. Unwillingly Tina releases her, grabs her things and shuts the door with a slam. She hopes rather than thinks she hear Queenie say it back.

\---------

Tina rushes through MACUSA, ignoring everyone and everything, until she reaches the President’s office. She knocks twice, clumsily, and doesn’t even wait for an official ‘okay’ before opening the door.

“Miss Goldstein, this is a surprise,” Picquery greets her, elbows resting on her desk.

“I accept,” Tina puffs, hoping the president doesn’t notice how red her eyes are, “I accept, the offer,”

“That’s very good to hear,” Picquery gives her a rare smile, “would you like a few days to get ready?”

“No,” Tina says, shaking her head, biting the inside of her lip, “I’d like to leave now, tonight,”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Tina's case, begins with a meeting with Theseus Scamander.

Tina fell out of the fireplace with a crash, hacking profusely and wiping acid green soot from her eyes. At first she’d thought it was a joke. What ministry in the 20th century still uses floo powder? 

“Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, miss,” a squeaky voice comes somewhere from her right.

Spitting the remainder of burnt wood taste off her tongue, Tina stands shakily and looks around. She’s appeared, in what could’ve easily be mistaken for an aristocrat’s drawing room. Complete with a plush purple couch, elaborate regency paintings and a glittering chandelier. The fireplace she’d just tumbled out of, is crackling merrily, and topped with expensive looking knick-knacks, and what seems to be a live owl. It’s comforting, in a pompous sort of way, Tina thinks absently wrapping her arms around herself. A direct opposite to the cool lines, and modern sharpness of MACUSA. A proud looking house-elf stands in front of her holding and clip board, another, rather squat one, holds a tray of cakes. 

“Mr Scamander wasn’t sure if you’d eaten miss,” the house elf with the pastries holds the cakes under her nose, “it’s quite late for us here, but it’d be about tea time for you wouldn’t it?” Tina grinds her teeth together: would Queenie be having dinner alone, sitting miserably, or would she be back in the arms of Jacob? Her stomach knots itself together. She's never felt less hungry in her life. The other elf is purposely checking her luggage and ID card.

“Uh, I’m fine,” Tina smiles tightly at the house elf with the pastries, and it walks out of the room. The other is currently rummaging through her clothing with determination.

“Is that necessary?” she asks brutishly, as the elf casually sits the photo of her and Queenie down on the floor with a clatter. 

“Exceedingly I’m afraid,” answers a deeps male voice from the doorway. Tina jumps, and turns round, hand on her heart.

There stands a tall, well-dressed man, in a grey suit, hands sat purposefully in his pockets. And although his hair is elaborately styled, and his lips are set in a grim line- his ruddy hair and green eyes place him clearly in what Tina marks as a ‘Scamander’. 

“Porpentina Goldstein?” he asks, and Tina nods, “Theseus Scamander,” he holds out a hand and Tina grips it firmly. 

“Nice to meet you,” she nods again, attempting to keep her facial expression neutral. She will not judge him on what Newt’s told her, it’s not right. And yet still pieces of various information flood in.

‘He’s a prat honestly, but I’m the only one who sees it,’, ‘I swear he’d sleep at the ministry if he could, there all hours,’, ‘top of his class, but you’d give him a run for his money, I’m sure,’, ‘He’d never want to see the hippogriffs with me, would you like to see them? If you could ever come over here?’

Theseus waves a casual hand to the couch, gesturing at her to sit. She does, gingerly, and he takes a place next to her, crossing his legs like he’s the lord on the manor.

“Take Miss Goldstein’s things to the boarding house, Wonky,” the house elf’s nose almost touches the ground, so deep is it’s bow and disappears with a pop. 

“So,” Theseus says, turning to face her, “MACUSA’S president tells me you have quite a good relationship with the boy- Credence,” she looks intently at her, ready to soak up any information he gives her. Despite the jolt she gets whenever she looks into her eyes, Tina decides to play it cool. Theseus is obviously quite a bit older than her, and she’s had more cases taken away from her because of her age and gender than she wants to admit. 

“I cared about his well-being, yes,” and certainly more than her colleagues did, Tina thinks darkly.

“Then you’ll be grateful to hear that we’ll be leaving for Paris tomorrow,” Theseus taps his wand against his leg, slightly frantically, which Tina takes into account suspiciously. Tomorrow? But Picquery was willing to give her a couple of days. She glances at Theseus to see a light blush, brushing the tips of his ears.

“I see my presence wasn’t entirely expected, Mr Scamander,” she states bluntly, raising an eyebrow. So if her and her sister hadn’t fought…

“Admittedly we weren’t expecting America to send a delegation,” Theseus admits slightly peevishly, “I’m afraid not many of my colleagues appreciate the help,”

“Even if the help came from a person Credence would know and trust?” Tina states incredulously.

“Yes well,” Theseus has the self-confidence to still be able to look her in the eye. If Tina had made such a faux pas, she’d be hiding behind the couch, head in her hands, “but you’re here now, and we’re willing to welcome you,”

‘You might be,’ Tina thinks internally scoffing, but settles on a condescending frown, which Theseus chooses to ignore. 

“We’ll meet here tomorrow at about 6pm,” he says briskly standing and flicking some invisible lint off his trousers. Tina stands too, awkward compared to his intentionally impressive, “it’s just an observation mission, no intense risk,” they both knock twice on the wall, quickly. Being superstitious seems to be the curse of auror’s both in the UK and USA. Theseus gives her a large grin, and it’s as if the ghost of Newt Scamander has appeared in front of her.

“You’ve come with the highest of recommendations, Miss Goldstein,” Theseus says friendly, clapping a large hand on her shoulder, “I’ll have your back,”

“Thank you, Mr Scamander,” Tina says softly, her chest lighter at the familiar crinkles around his eyes.

“Here, your boarding houses' address,” he hands her a small piece of paper, “There’s three other girls living there, but do try to get as much sleep as you can,”

She probably shouldn’t tell her current boss that she had just pushed away the only real friend she’s ever had. Who also happens to be her sister, and last living relative. Crying in front of your boss isn’t advisable either Tina, she tells herself sternly, blinking rapidly at the carpet. That’s when she sees it. Her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, covered in ash, lying near the fire place. Theseus catches her line of sight, and strides over, picking up the book. In the process of dusting it off, one of Newt’s letters slides out and falls onto the carpet, another hangs dangerously as if by a thread. 

Pulse in her ears, and heart in her mouth, Tina lunges. Fumbling for the letter, attempting to hide what must be familiar writing, she rips the book out of Theseus’s hands. Heat blooming on her face, she stuffs the letters back. Mind racing, she does a quick clever charm sends it back to her case. She can't afford Theseus asking to have a closer look. Not at the tiny notes she's written in the margins, or at the multiple pages signed by his brothers hand. 

“A fan of Newt's work?” Theseus sounds amused at her behaviour. 

“A bit, yes,” Tina mumbles, flushing harder. 

“Well you must be if you keep written notes on the damn thing,” Theseus says chuckling, “You like his little creatures then?” he sounds interested, but his humorous tone makes Tina stop and stare. ‘Won’t even help your own sister’ Queenie’s accusing voice rings in her ears.

“I think they’re wonderful and I think he’s brilliant,” she glares coldly, her own guilt an ice pick in her stomach. Theseus holds up his hands in surrender. 

“Hey, hey, he’s my little brother, I’m proud of him too. I remember when…” he trails off, an apparent light bulb appearing over his head, “would you like me to introduce you?”  
Tina almost laughs at the painful irony, but then his words fully sink in. 

“No!” she shouts loudly, “I mean,” she stutters at Theseus’s puzzlement, “I’m sure he’s real busy, I wouldn’t want to intrude,”

“Well if you’re sure,” Theseus says slowly. Obviously wondering what kind of demented person takes notes on an author’s books, defends said author, but then desperately doesn’t want to meet him.

“See you tomorrow, Mr Scamander,” Tina says tiredly. Not waiting for his reply, she reads the address and disapperates.  
\----------

Tina stumbles on the top step of a Victorian town house. The windows still admit a faint glow unlike, most of the other occupants around, and she can tear a faint clattering of joyful voices inside. She nervously checks and double checks the note against the house's number before finally knocking. A cheery red head, dressed from head to toe in shocking pink, answers almost straight away.

“Hello!” she chirps brightly, “are you Tina Goldstein?”

“Oh, yes,” Tina replies dazed, blinded somewhat from the amount of diamantes on the woman’s dress.

“Then come in, come in,” she ushers her inside. 

Tina was achingly reminded of her own apartment. It was brown in appearance, slightly faded and peeling, but undoubtedly female inhabited and well-cared for. Flowery curtains had been placed over dusty windows, and a slightly off white table-cloth had been draped carefully over the dining table. Sitting on a wooden chair, reading a Witches Weekly magazine, sits a brown haired woman who also smiles at her. 

“Ah,” she says in a sweet voice, placing down her reading material, “we were told you’d be coming. I was getting worried you’d lost your way,” she gives a small flick of her head towards a rickety grandfather clock that stands in the hall way. 

“Don’t be silly, Angie,” says the fiery red head, collapsing gracelessly onto the opposite chair, “you know it’s late when Bunty gets home,”

Tina doesn’t hear ‘Angie’s’ soft reprimand properly, instead she’s staring in horror at the time. It was one o’clock, and it certainly wasn’t the afternoon.

“I’m just saying, she’s never home and we all know why,” the red head is saying defensively. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you both awake,” Tina interrupts, ringing her hands. What a terrible first impression. She was never good at girlfriends. Not a Ilvermony and not now. Her 'friends'- if you could call them that, friendly acquaintances would probably be more accurate- were on the quidditch team and now were her work mates. Normally male, and normally not wanting to 'chat'. She hangs her head ashamed. 

“Oh darling, don’t be sorry!” the red head exclaims, “we wanted to meet you! We’re all assistants and tea carriers. I’ve never met a female auror before,” she pats the place next to her enthusiastically, and Tina feels inclined to sit.

“Now, I’m Maud Prewett and-“

“And I’m Angelina Longbottom,” Angelina cuts through Maud’s chatter, with practiced ease, “give the girl some space, I’m sure she’s exhausted,”

Tina could quite honestly kiss Miss Longbottom for this, her eyes lids sore and heavy. However, she notices how Maud visibly deflates, and makes a grudging decision to make an effort for her new roommates.

“No, no it’s okay,” she says shyly and Maud beams. 

“Oh yay, oh I just adore your accent by the way! So you’re actually from New York,” she prattles on. Tina finds, to her surprise, she doesn’t mind. Maud is one of those people in which serious human interaction is not required, just a simple exclamation or agreement when necessary. It’s almost like Queenie reading her thoughts, no effort required. A quarter of an hour passes, then two and then three. 

“And this was my Grandmother’s,” Maud’s saying holding up the extravagant golden necklace that hangs around her neck, “apparently my Grandfather won it off some goblin and-“

The front door explodes off its hinges. A girl bursts through in a strange sort of smock, with two red buns screwed to the top of her head, a brown bullet zooming around her head like a miniature meteorite. 

“BUNTY!” both girls scream, standing up on the table. 

“What is it this time?” Maud screeches.

“As long as it’s not slimy,” Angelina cringes.

Tina frozen on the spot watches in fascination as the brown dot, on hearing the new commotion, turns its attention towards them, tongue hanging out. The thing races over on its four tiny legs, rushes up the table, and takes a fantastic leap right onto Maud’s chest, and attempts to stuff her necklace into its pouch. A laugh bursts out of her, at the absurdity of it all. It’s smaller than the one she knows, but it could only be a baby niffler. 

“Get it off! Get it off! GET IT OFF!!” Maud screams, flinging her hands about wildly. The new woman, Bunty, races over attempting to calm her down to no avail. 

Unnoticed by the three British girls, Tina watches as the baby niffer flicks the necklaces latch and both tumble with a clatter on the table. She raises a motherly eyebrow in its direction and its beady eyes stare at her cheekily before scampering off the table and up the apartments steep stairs. Tina sprints after it.  
She finds it rummaging in her suitcase that has been placed on an empty bed. It’s rubbing its little face into Newts book. Tina smiles sadly. 

“Can you smell him, darling,” she whispers, taking small, quiet steps, sneaking up to the robber. “Just a little more…” she reaches two hands on either side of the creature and…”gotcha!” she cries happily clasping her hands together, catching the wriggling deviant. 

“So what are we going to do with you eh?” she says, giggling at the upset look on its snout. God it’s adorable. She holds it upside down, ticking it mercilessly. The only other niffler she knows had stolen her own necklace at least five times, when Newt was in New York. He let her save it for herself the last time, talking her gently through it and smiling widely when she'd succeeded. 

“No, no let it got please, it’s Maud’s, not yours,” she scolds and the thing finally relents, dropping the necklace on the bed just as the Bunty girl swings through the door.

“Oh you’ve found it,” she says breathlessly, leaning against the door knob, “and the necklace?” she says looking flabbergasted between Tina and the bed. 

“Yes well,” Tina said nervously, flipping the niffer the right way up. To her joy, it crawls up her arm and hides in her hair, “hello,” she says smiling. 

“It likes you,” Bunty says brows furrowed, “how’d you know how to do that?” she asks suspiciously. 

“I’s just…” Tina bites her tongue. She didn’t tell his brother that she knew him. So why should she tell this random woman? “I’ve read that book, you know? Fantastic beasts-“

“And Where to Find Them, right…” finishes for her, leaning forward to take the niffler. The creature paws clutch at Tina’s shirt, and Bunty lets it go frowning even deeper now, “I didn’t think it went into that much detail,”

“So you’ve read it?” Tina asks, attempting to keep things friendly.

“Yes, of course. I’m Newt Scamander’s assistant,” Bunty says gesturing modestly down to the various paw prints and blood stains on her apron. Tina stands speechless, gaping like a fish out of water. 

She feels as if she’d standing on a very small ledge with no escape but by falling. First her sister, hurting her with the mere memory of him, then her new boss being his brother and now her roommate being his damn assistant! Is there no escaping him? She just wants to move on damn it. Forget about how he actually believed in her, his sensitive touch with his creatures, and the slip of his finger on her skin as he said goodbye. 

“The little fella must’ve run off with me, as I left tonight,” Bunty says tiredly sitting on the bed opposite Tina’s own. 

“It's awfully late to leave a job,” Tina says, tightly. ‘Not jealous, not jealous, not jealous’ she chants in her head. Bullshit of course. She's practically seeing green. 

“I do what I can,” Bunty says, suddenly sounding proud, lips forming a small smile, “and…he needs me, he doesn’t say it but he does,” Tina swallows dryly at how struck she sounds. How passionate. She knows how that feels. She wonders how long it’ll take her to reach her stage of hopelessness. 

“You like him?” she asks, already knowing the answer, running a soft finger over the nifflers back. It's toying with her necklace already. 

“Yes,” Bunty says smile fading, “but it’s not going to happen,”

Tina gives a non-committal nod. 'Tell me about it'. 

“He’s hopelessly hung up on someone else,” Bunty says pulling out one of her buns in a weary way, “got her picture in his case an everything, I’ve seen him watch her sometimes while he works,” Ahh Tina thinks, Leta's picture. She’d seen it in the case herself. That beautiful woman dressed in white and jewels, smiling mysteriously as if she’s got a secret. She supposes now that they’re engaged, he moved her picture to a more visible spot. 

“That’s too bad,” Tina says thickly, sitting beside her, but not allowing them to touch. How close had she been to him? “but he still cares about you, doesn’t he?” 

“Yeah, I guess,” Bunty, says quietly, “thanks, by the way,”

“What for?” Tina asks confused.

“For getting Maud’s necklace back, I’d never have heard the end of it otherwise,” Bunty says laughing a little, “did she tell you it was goblin made?” 

“Yes, she did do that,” Tina laughs in spite of herself. 

“Bunty,” she holds out a hand.

“Tina,” she takes it, smiling a little. Bunty study’s her a little, blue eyes bore into brown. 

“What?” Tina asks.

“Nothing, it’s just,” Bunty says slowly, then shakes her head, “got déjà vu for a second there, mind if I take the necklace back down?” she jumps off the bed. 

“No, not at all,” Tina throws up her hands, “do you want to take him?” she points to her furry friend.

“Nah, if he’ll stay with you, and not wreck the house, then you may as well keep him,” Bunty says on the way out the door, “his name’s Einstein by the way,”

Einstein cuddles into Tina’s neck, and she snuggles back. Tomorrow she’ll be in Paris. But tonight at least, she’ll be going to bed with some comfort. A comfort that came from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a feeling that Tina's shyness, and lack of communication skills come from living with her sister who could read her thoughts all the time. So I feel like she'd like someone like Maud who just says what she thinks in the moment and doesn't let anyone else talk!  
> And no Bunty doesn't really recognize Tina. I feel like Bunty would be jealous of Tina's picture, so she'd try not to look at it too often. So with Tina's new haircut she wouldn't know it was her.  
> Feel free to tell me what you think!  
> Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The famous Scamander would be Theseus? Wouldn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't upload last night! I thought I could make this chapter longer than it was, but the more I thought about what I wanted to happen, the more I realised that couldn't be the case. So this ones a little short, but the next one will be long and drama filled- trust me!  
> Enjoy!

Tina glances at her watch nervously. Goddammit! It’s 5:40. She’s only got twenty minutes to work out how to get to Theseus’s office, from what she’s guessing is the ministry’s dungeon. Why on earth was she so stupid, to apparate without asking for directions on how to get to the auror department? The last thing Tina needs, is to walk in late to a meeting where she already isn’t wanted.

She thought she’d planned it out perfectly. She’d woken at a reasonable time, (with Einstein snoring on her chest). It was Bunty who ended up running out the door, a piece of toast in her mouth, talking muffled about ‘Elsie’s droppings’ and a ‘kelpie’s rash’. She was in and out so fast, Tina didn’t even have time to pass her the baby back. Einstein had been busily nibbling on a biscuit at the time, and Tina could’ve sworn he’d ducked down behind her coffee cup at Bunty’s voice. 

“She’s your owner’s assistant,” Tina had hissed at him, and he’d actually rolled his tiny eyes. 

Then Maud talked and Tina had listened. (Although Maud was careful not to get close, just in case Einstein ‘marked her again’- Tina suggested less diamonds on her outfits next time). And Angelina had written her clear directions, map included, on how to get to the Ministry of Magic. Tina had left at five giving herself an hour to make mistakes. She should’ve given herself two. 

First, Angelina had only marked some public toliets as the entry point. She’d thought there would've been an officer to let her in like at MACUSA. Or perhaps she’d have to show her wand to the toliet door. It took her a good twenty minutes before she figured out, she had to flush herself in. Then it was a maze of doors, posh witches who avoided her desperate eye contact, and elevators that seemed to go sideways as well as up and down. Now, Tina was wandering aimlessly through, cold, gloomy halls, covered in dark tiles, and illuminated by a eerie greenish glow.

“Damn, damn, damn!” Tina cries frustratedly, kicking a wall. Einstein pats her chest consolingly. He’d whimpered until she relented to bring him, and is currently curled up in a ball, in a pocket on the inside of her coat. 

“Are you alright?” a deep voice asks.

“Uh, I’m looking for Mr Scamander’s office,” Tina says carefully. The man is standing defensively, and cocking an aggressive eyebrow.

“What’s a dirty yank, want with ‘Mr Scamander?'” the man’s silvery blonde hair, shines off the walls. 

“None of your damn business,” Tina spits harshly, “can you take me to him or not?” the man sighs, like all the world’s problems begin and end with her. 

“Do you want the famous one or the other one?” he asks hands on hips. 

‘Theseus Scamander? The war hero’ the memory murmurs in the back of Tina’s mind.

“The famous one,” she says resolutely. The man sneers. 

“Of course you do,” he spins on his heel and marches away, “well come on then,” his sharp tone echoes down the hallway. Tina rushes to comply. 

She’s so focused on following the back of the unpleasant man’s heels that she doesn’t realise her mistake, until they’re joined in an elevator by a wizard holding a box of petrified pixies. Tina cracks her wrists anxiously, staring round at the desks crawling with creatures. All the bright feathers and loud yowling pick at her curiosity, her face softening despite of her tight, nervous, muscles. She resists the urge to study them. To summon her book so she can match his words with each fascination. But her watch reads ten to six. She has no time to spare. 

Her chauffer stops abruptly in front of a large mahogany door. Shiny gold letters read ‘Newt Scamander’ and underneath, in lightly smaller writing, ‘head magiczoologist’ is stamped. Tina can’t help but notice that the door knob is covered in dust. She has a feeling Newt doesn’t come into work often. 

“Thanks,” she says abrasively to the man, but the top of his blonde head is already twisting away. Tina sighs with relief. She didn’t know what she would’ve done, if he’d knocked on the door. Screamed? Fainted? Improvised? 

She bounces on her toes spinning around, looking of a nice looking person who’s the least busy, to give her directions. Tina’s about to approach a mousy haired woman who’s daydreaming, when-

“No, Dougal, stay,” his voice is faint through the door, but there’s no doubt. Tina is a wall away from the man she’s thought about every day for a year. She can almost picture him climbing out of the case, pulling his blue coat out behind him. She can hear Newt’s soft footsteps, the crinkles of shuffling paper, the clink of a tea cup. It would be so easy, a little voice murmurs in the back of her mind, just to poke your head in. 

Her heart patters against her chest. Would she say hello or hi? Would he look shocked or surprised? How would he greet her? Not with a hug, not now he's engaged. But with a soft smile, a friendly handshake? That could be plausible. Very plausible in fact. The more Tina ruminates on it, the more it seems like a good idea, to say hello. He’s her friend. She should at least let him know she’s in England. Newt will be kind, whatever happens, Tina thinks dizzily, placing a shaky palm on the wood. And he’ll know where his brother’s office is. She looks down to steel herself, but sees that she’s inadvertently got a foot on a piece of paper slide half-way under the door. Bending down, she picks it up, reading the elegant script, a sick taste on her tongue. 

Dear Newt,  
Theseus has a case tonight, but I’m still free for dinner.  
Hope to see you there.  
Love Leta. 

Tina drops the note like it’s a live explosive. She can’t do this. Seeing it in a magazine is one thing, but to hold his fiancé’s 'love' in her hands. Such a nice night they’ll probably have too, without an older brother chaperoning. A nice bottle or two of elf made wine, all dipped in soft candlelight. 

Biting her lip, Tina clumsily makes her way over to tap the daydreamer on the shoulder, and she’s more than happy to show Tina the way.  
\-------  
The Parisian cobbled streets are misty at this time of night. A low hung cloud over the beautiful city, making it easy for rats to scuttle invisible into gutters. For shadows to melt into doorways. For six auror’s to hide, crouching in an alleyway, staring up at a run-down town house.

“Everyone got the plan?” Theseus glares at them all, “just making contact, no sudden moves, and no sudden magic. And let Miss Goldstein do the talking, he’ll trust her,” this speech causes half of the team to stare at Tina, and she pretends not to notice.

“Well?” Theseus asks and they all nod, minutely. Theseus places a finger to his lips and silently they make their way into the house, Tina almost scared to breath as they crawl up the stairs. 

But somethings wrong, she notices it straight away. And so does Theseus, judging by the tense line of his back. Every surface was layered in grime, and there’s no signs of food or even any blankets, despite the cracks in the windows letting in a biting wind. A musty smell hangs in the air, causing goose bumps to raise on Tina’s skin. Are they too late? 

Theseus tugs on her sleeve gently, and points a finger to a dark corner. Tina lights her wand and hovers it in the direction. There sits a dark haired body, bowed, and facing at the wall. 

“Credence?” Tina whispers hesitantly. Nothing. She looks a Theseus, who looks grim but waves his hands encouragingly. Pressing a foot slowly down onto the floorboards, they creak piercingly. Tina jumps, and the strangers foot quivers slightly. Einstein, still in her pocket, trembles. Swallowing hard, Tina tries again. 

“Credence?” She moves closer, but lowers her knees in a defensive stance. Was his hair always that long? “It’s Tina, Tina Goldstein, I tried to help you in New York last year,” the person twitches their head, “I know I could’ve save you and I’m sorry,” her voice breaks slightly, but she carries on, “but I’m here now, if you need any help?”

The person’s shoulders shrug, but they turn their body minisculely towards the moonlight. One more movement and Tina will be able to see their face. 

“This is Theseus Scamander,” she says gingerly, gesturing behind her, Theseus gives a small wave, “he’s the head of the auror department in England, if you consent, he’d also like to keep an eye on you,” silence. 

Then a bright purple explosion of light, crashes into Tina, lifts her up and slams up against the wall. A deep stabbing pain rattles her body. A man is laughing hysterically. He has dark brows, dark eyes and a dark smile. But he's not Credence. Tina gives a small sob, then everything goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger! I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've been betrayed, and Credence is no where to be found. But who is going to save them? And who is finally going to make an appearance?  
> (PLEASE READ THE CHAPTER NOTES AT THE BEGINNING, BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> STRONG WARNING BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER: this chapter contains a character who is sadistic, abusive and enjoys being cruel. He also slaps one of the other characters. If reading this chapter could effect you negatively or trigger you in any way please, please, DON'T read it! This chapter also involves death, so don't read if that could effect you either.
> 
> For those who are are comfortable reading this, Enjoy!

Cool metal caresses Tina’s forehead soothing her headache. A small bump, which could only be Einstein’s damp nose, nudges her own repeatedly, until she gives him a grimace. Satisfied he crawls into her collar. 

“Miss Goldstein,” Theseus groans, shaking her arm, “MISS GOLDSTEIN!”

“Call me Tina,” she whispers curling in on her aching stomach. 

“Thank Merlin,” he breaths, “you alright?”

“Generally,” she says dryly, “what about you guys?” she props herself up on forearms, to see Theseus’s gloomy eyes. 

“McLaggen and Stockett are dead,” Theseus says forcefully, punching the hard floor of their cage, “they’re over there, with Synder and Longbottom,” he says and Tina squints across the room, where she can make out a large metal cage containing, four bodies. Two are holding on to each other desperately, the others are splayed out on the floor. 

Glancing round, she sees the dingy house they were in has been transformed into a dark wizards lair. Various glass bottles are filled with dark red and green gloopy liquid. Rusty hooks hang from the ceiling, and there’s no clear exit. Sat on a dark wooden box in a corner, are their six wands. 

“Mercy Lewis,” she cries, burying her face in her arms, “wrong information or betrayal?” 

“Bit of both, I’d wager,” Theseus says darkly. 

“You’d be correct,” the dark haired stranger materialises between the two cages, smiling wickedly, hitting some sparkling keys arrogantly against his thigh.

“Where’s Credence?” Tina sits up too fast, and winces at the pain in her ribs. 

“Doing work for the Greater Good,” the stranger smiles smugly. Tina jolts backwards in shock and Theseus catches her. Hot tears fill her eyes. They’re too late. “However I cannot let you leave with that information,”

“Why didn’t you just kill us all at once then?” the auror, Tina recognises as Longbottom, hollers shaking the bars. Tina wonders faintly if this is Angelina’s brother. 

“Because that’s no fun,” the stranger shrugs sadistically, brushing his hair casually from out of his eyes, “and besides I have to question you two,” they flick their head disinterestedly in Tina and Theseus’s direction.

“Why?” Theseus spits.

“Because you’re Newt Scamander’s brother- and he’s the only wizard who has successfully captured my master,” their capture says coolly, “and you” he points at Tina, “helped him, last year in New York,” Tina can feel Theseus's disbelieving glare on her neck. She attempts to look as serene, as possible. Tina Golstein has never looked serene in her life. Theseus drops her. 

“So I’ll let you in on the secret on what’s going to happen to you,” he points at Theseus and Tina, “while making an example of those two,” he says grinning happily at Synder and Longbottom. Synder buries her head in her hands, sobbing shamelessly. 

“Please, I’ve got children,” she cries between shuddering breaths. 

“Shut up!” the man snaps and she whimpers. Shaking off his disgust, he rearranges his face, almost magically, into a pleasant gentleman again. He delicately pulls a long, and dangerously curved fang, out from under his robes. 

“Do any of you know what this is?” he strides around suavely. Tina studies the fang, it’s enormous, almost the size of the man’s forearm. “Well? Anyone?” He rests a casual elbow on bars of Synder and Longbottom’s cage, “shame,” he sounds almost disappointed, studying the shining tip of the fang for a moment.

Then, without, warning he violently forces his arm through the bars, burying the fang in Synder’s leg. Tina watches, frozen with horror as, almost immediately, her mouth begins to foam and her eyes roll backwards in her head. Not even a minute has passed before Synder has slumped on the ground, spittle spread round her mouth. Longbottom retches in a corner, shuffling as far away from Synder’s frozen limbs as possible. Tina blinks, stupidly, her mind numb. How many children did this woman have? It’s November, they’d all be at school. When was the last time she’d seen them? Told them she loved them? Einstein digs his tiny claws into her skin, terrified. 

“You bastard,” Theseus snarls, but the man simply laughs.

“What is that?” Tina asks weakly, nodding a head at the fang still buried in the woman's thigh. 

“Ahh, good question Miss Goldstein,” the man says clapping his hands together, “it’s a basilisk fang,” 

“Of course”, Tina breathes leaning back, shutting her eyes tight. Theseus is looking at her like she has two heads. 

“Yes,” the man smiles at her proudly (to Tina’s intense disgust), “for those of you who don’t have Miss Goldstein’s aptitude for magizoology, the basilisk produces an extremely powerful poison, for which there is only one known antidote,” he trails off evilly. 

“Now this,” he pulls out a vial full of a purple liquid from his cloak, “is the same poison but diluted, so for example,” he grabs Longbottom by the hair and pinches his nose, “if this man drinks it,” Tina closes her eyes, not wanting to see the man struggle keep his mouth shut. She can imagine his face turning from red, to purple, to blue, his lips trembling with the pressure to hold on. She can hear Theseus vigorously, shaking the bars helplessly. But finally, inevitably, Longbottom gasps, “death should take about ten minutes,” 

Tina feels Theseus wrap his arms around her, and hide his face in her coat. It seems no matter how angry he is at her at the moment he can’t stand to watch a man being killed even more than she does. They hold each other tightly, his hair tickling her neck, pretending not to hear Longbottom’s agonising moans and screams. 

“You two can just sit tight here, while I go receive my orders about what to ask you,” the man says cheerfully, “feel free to decide between yourselves, if you prefer the short or long death!” They head the sound of a door slamming and soon there’s complete silence, except for Tina and Theseus’s harsh breathing. 

\---------------------------------------

Theseus is pacing the length of the cell. Tina can practically see the steam pouring out of his ears, from her seat on the floor. Einstein is balanced on her knee, and he’s following Theseus’s footsteps, like he’s watching a tennis match.

“Can you calm down?” she asks him sternly.

“Four of my colleagues are dead on the floor and you’re asking me to calm down?” he shoots back.

“Yes I am!” Tina throws up her arms, “we’re hardly going to escape by you walking a hole into the floor,” he glares at her, but never the less, halts. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t inform me, you were involved with Grindlewald’s kidnap,” he says angrily. 

“I thought you’d have assumed,” Tina argues. I would’ve thought Newt would’ve mentioned me, she thinks quietly to herself, “someone who knows Credence and comes from New York, it’s not a particularly large stretch”

“Yes…well, I didn’t!” Theseus kicks the bars frustrated, and they ring with a loud, vibrating sound. Einstein places his paws over his ears.

“Do you want him to come back faster?” Tina asks sarcastically.

“No! I want, I want…” and to her intense surprise he sinks to the ground, head in his hands. 

“We’re going to die here, and I’m never going to see her again,” when he looks back up at her, his eyes are wet. Tina bites her lip.

“Who?” she asks apologetically.

“My fiancé.” He gives a soft smile, looking into the distance lovingly at someone who isn’t there, “I didn’t even properly say goodbye to her, just left a slightly,” he coughs, “saucy note on her desk,”

Tina furrows her eyebrows. He’s engaged too? God, their mother must be thrilled. Theseus's face is a mottled white colour, and he's picking his nail beds. She tilts her head empathically. If she dies, it’s only her sister who will care (maybe). If he dies, it effects not just his family, but the woman who loves him, and who he clearly loves back. 

“What’s she like?” she asks kindly, watching as a dreamy look falls across his face. 

“Beautiful. The most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen,” he sighs, “she’s not exactly nice, but she’s strong you know? And clever, she doesn’t admit it, but she is,” Tina nods, amused at his childlike wonder that this apparent goddess of a woman has decided to choose him. 

“Wait,” he rummages in his pocket and takes out his wallet, “I’ve got a photo, look,”

He passes Tina a crinkled picture. An awfully familiar picture. It’s Leta Lestrange, who is smiling back at her. And not just any photo of her. It’s exactly the same picture as the one in Newt’s case, but without a frame and with clears lines where Theseus has folded it to fit in one of his wallets’ slits. Tina’s brain firmly shuts down her heart. It had begun to lighten for a second, with what suspiciously felt like hope. 

“This…this is a joke right?” she asks squeakily. 

“A joke? What on earth do you mean?” Theseus takes back the photograph, offended. Tina gulps. 

“I mean it was everywhere!” she stutters, “’Newt Scamander to marry childhood sweetheart’”

“What?” Theseus says aghast,” Tina, I promise whatever you’ve heard or read, I proposed to Leta and she said yes,” 

Tina stares. Einstein is jumping excitedly round her ankles. 

“But…he had that picture of her in his case,” Tina says in a small voice. Theseus’s face suddenly becomes closed off. 

“About eleven months ago Newt gave it to me, said he’d found it in his flat's attic,” he looks blankly at Tina,” said he didn’t need it anymore and would I like it for my desk,” he stares expressionless down at Leta’s smiling face.

In spite of Theseus’s melancholy spirit, Tina’s insides were unconsciously dancing a jig. She tries to calm them down, but the party carries on despite her warnings. It was as if balloon was expanding in her chest, and her sudden happiness could’ve lifted her off the floor. As if on cue, her practical side roused itself and began to argue.

‘He still loves her though,’ But not enough to carry about her picture anymore, ‘He’s probably wildly upset, and attempting to save his feelings,’ Eleven months ago it was December, ‘Oh for Circe’s sake, Porpentina, he didn’t get rid of the blasted picture because of you,’ But then why did he get rid of it? 

Theseus must’ve caught the shades of emotions, flitting across Tina’s face.

“How’d you know about this photo anyway?” he asks curiously. 

“Newt stayed with my sister and I in New York last year,” she admits.

“How’d he manage that?” Tina flushes, hanging her head.

“I may have arrested him,” Theseus bursts out laughing, “he let a niffler loose in a bank,” she attempts to remain serious, but unable to help it, she begins giggling too. Einstein looks insulted. 

“That sounds like my brother,” he wipes a stray tear from out of his eye, “but wait, if you know him, why didn’t you want get introduced?” Tina blushes harder.

“Well we’d been writing,” Theseus’s eyes almost pop out of from their sockets, “but then I saw the ‘news’ in one of my sister’s magazines, and I thought…” she trails of embarrassed. Theseus’s Cheshire grin lets her know, that he knows exactly what she thought. 

“My little brother’s been writing for a girl,” he says astonished, shaking his head disbelivingly, “and I thought he was trying so hard to get back to New York to check up on that damn ‘lightingbird’,” Tina splutters on air, but is unable to help the wide smile that grows on her face, “Merlin I can’t wait to hang this on him,” He pauses, holding up a hand. 

Tina keen ears pick up on the sound of heels walking back up the corridor. They look at each other in a state of identical terror. They’re stuck in a cage, without wands, without hope, facing their inevitable doom. And they’ve been busy, discussing their love lives. 

“Have you got any plans?” Theseus asks Tina shakily. The man is so close, Tina can hear his keys jingling together. Einstein hears it too, and she has to prevent him from escaping though the bars. He’s insatiable, attempting to wriggle of her grip. Suddenly the answer hits her on the head, with a soft oof. Why didn’t she think of it before? He’s a baby, but could it still work? Clutching his soft fur tightly, she prays to every God she knows of, and then turns to Theseus.

“Do you know if Newt owns a phoenix?” she asks frantically. 

“What?” Theseus says distractedly. He’s attempting to pick the heavy padlock with his fingernails. 

“A phoenix, Theseus, a bird that can burst into flames,” she’s almost vibrating with anticipation.

“Perhaps…I don’t really go into that bloody hospital of his,” he says, cradling his broken nails.

“You’d better hope to Merlin he does,” Tina says grimly. Just in case this all goes wrong. 

“What are you planning?” Theseus hisses, but he’s too late and the door swings open. 

“So have you chosen which way you’d prefer?” he asks, as casually as ordering food at a restaurant, leaning up against their cage. 

“Yes,” Tina says quickly, tilting Einstein precariously on her fingers to give him a good look at the sparkling keys. There’s four of them, hanging around a silver loop, connecting to a chain around the man’s belt, “long,”

“TINA!” Theseus shouts, but the man smiles in childish delight, pulling two more vials out from his pocket.

“Good choice,” he pats her arm proudly, and Tina shudders, “I’ll just ask you some quick questions and then we can get started,” she feels Einstein slide greedily down her pant leg. 

“Now, where is MACUSA keeping the key to Grindlewald’s cell?” 

“No idea,” Tina says truthfully, keeping her eyes focused on his despicable face, making sure her line of sight doesn’t drop to where the niffler is currently racing across the floor. 

“Don’t lie,” the man orders.

“I’m not,” she says, trying to look as naïve as possible. Einstein is working his way around the belt, and Tina prays he doesn’t get distracted by the silver buckle. 

“Okay then, where are MACUSA keeping his wand,” Tina swallows hard. This one she does know. 

“I don’t know,” she tries, but her voice trembles and he smiles triumphantly.

“Come now,” he dangles the vial in a tantalizing way front of her nose. Einstein has reached the keys but he’s trying to stuff them in his pouch, instead of undoing the latch that would free them.

Tina stays silent sucking in her cheeks. The man slaps her. 

“Third floor,” Tina says faintly, her ears ringing. Einstein has finally got it, and is busy working the tiny latch, “in a case,” the keys are sliding along the loop,” next to the presidents’ office,” the niffler and the keys fall to the floor with a crash. 

Everything seems to move in slow motion. Einstein attempts to scamper to the back to the safety of Tina’s coat pocket, while the man yowls in fury, raising a foot to stamp on the defenseless creature. Tina grabs his wrists and uses her entire weight to holds him tight against the cage door. But he’s taller and stronger, and she feels his hands jerkily maneuvering to undo one of the vials stoppers. 

“Theseus! The keys!” she yells, but the second she has her mouth open is enough, and the man pours the contents of the vial down her throat. She sputters, trying to expel every ounce of the tart liquid from her mouth. She hears the creak of a doors swinging open, and the sound skin hitting skin -hard. Still wiping her tongue, she looks up to see the man knocked out on the floor, and Theseus rapidly gathering up all six of their wands. 

“Not to be a pain,” Tina says disjointedly, as a violent cramp rocks her stomach, “but we might have to leave rather soon,” 

“Okay, okay,” Theseus picks up the other vial, and pours the substance in the vile, but thankfully unconscious, man’s mouth. 

Einstein climbs her body like a monkey and licks neck affectionately, “you did brilliantly, darling,” she coos at him, before a short scream escapes from her throat, and she’s forced into her knees, as what could only be knifes dig into her spine.

“You alright?” Theseus crouches down next to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Newt, Newt,” she gasps, before vomiting over her shoes. Einstein, uses Theseus’s arm as a bridge, and falls into his top pocket, watching her forlornly. 

“Yes, right,” Theseus, thinks for a moment, before sweeping her into his arms, and disapperating. 

Newt’s house smells exactly like his case. Tina clutches desperately to Theseus shoulders, clenching her teeth to prevent her from crying out. The poison has become a hot flame running through her veins, and she flings her limbs out desperately trying to find a position that isn’t agonising. 

“Newt!” Theseus is screaming, “NEWT!” 

“What in buggering hell are you doing here at this time of night?” Newt calls out from somewhere above them, and Tina hears the vague sound a occamy call in the distance. Another wave of pain hits her, and she retches arching her back. She slips through Theseus’s grips and falls hard on the straw covered floor. 

“NEWT! PLEASE! IT’S TINA! TINA GOLDSTEIN!” Theseus is practically hyperventilating now, bending down to grasp her hand.

“What?!” Newt’s confused voice is closer now. And then. Finally.

“TINA! Merlin, Tina love,” a rough hand cups her cheek. And there he is, green eyes boring anxiously into hers. She nestles into his hand deliriously, vaguely hoping he doesn’t mind that her shirt is covered in her own vomit.

“Hello,” she whispers, her voice barely more than a croak. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!” it’s a tone she’s only heard him use once before. When he was being dragged away from his case of creatures. 

Tina doesn’t hear Theseus rapidly explaining, or Newt summoning his case, or even Bunty’s scared exclamation. All she feels is Newt’s soft fingers stroking her hair. ‘I’m alright now, I’m safe’. A nervous tear falls down her cheek. ‘I don’t want to die’. She looks up. His hair is slightly shorter, but none the less the same mess around his face. Eyes flashing and wild, he orders frantic instructions at both his brother and assistant. They rush to do his bidding.

“You’ve got to stay with me okay, Tina?” he’s forcing himself to be calm, she can tell. The tick in his jaw is giving his true feelings away. It’s trick he must’ve learnt by years of dealing with unpredictable creatures, “Okay, love?” he repeats, harshly. 

She reaches up, and brushes a thumb over his lips. She watches him shiver, staring down at her, eyes darkening. More tears run down her nose, and he grips her wrist tightly, nails digging into her skin. 

“Don’t leave me,” she mumbles. He presses his forehead to hers. 

“Never,” Newt says thickly, and Tina smiles happily. Then her eyes close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good or bad? Feel free to tell me!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally Tina wakes. In a strange bed, and in a strange room. But who is sitting beside her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second last chapter, whoo! I'm so glad so many of you are liking this story so far! We've only got a little bit more to go, so don't worry this chapter is full of fluff (and awkwardness and a little angst at the end but you know...mostly fluff!)   
> Enjoy!

Tina wakes to find herself surrounded in a cloud of warmth. She groans burying her face down into a soft mattress. It smells of earth, slightly of dung and of male sweat. Her eyelids are sticky and she has to force them open to glare at the ray of sun light that awoke her. Someone has placed her in a strange bedroom, and the light green curtains have fallen apart to release a crack of light, which runs across the floor boards and onto the bed. 

Tina rolls over, painfully. Every joint in her body is stiff and sore. She blearily blinks at a cluttered side table, complete with a battered alarm clock, a novel, reading glasses and a bottle that reads ‘phoenix tears’. Newt’s case sits open, on the floor, beside the bed. The inside flap is covered in various pencil drawings and exotic postcards. Yet there’s a strange empty space in the bottom left corner, yet to be filled. And sat on a rickety chair, which has a blue coat and grey and yellow striped scarf draped over it, is a familiar person.

Bunty, who is staring at her stoically.  
She attempts to greet her, but Tina’s mouth is filled with what seems like dry spider webs and nothing manages to come out.

“You’re awake,” Bunty says simply. Tina nods. Bunty says nothing, but looks incredibly apprehensive. Tina would desperately love a drink of water, but has an instinct she should let Bunty talk with what is digging at her. She has a sinking suspicion on what it might me. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew, Newt?” she asks pointedly, biting her down turned lip, eyes angry. Tina is suddenly intensely glad she’s unable to speak. What on earth could she say?

“He hasn’t left your side you know,” she gives a dull laugh, staring somewhere near Tina’s collarbone, “first he sat her, and then I convinced him that he actually had to do some work so,” she gestures vaguely to the case. Tina attempts to keep the sides of her mouth neutral, although they’re begging to twist upwards. She will not make this poor girl feel worse than she already does. 

“Bunty!” Newt’s voice echoes upwards from his case, “It’s time for Tina’s next dose,” 

Bunty gives the extraordinary brown case, a sad smile. 

“She’s awake, Newt,” she calls back. There’s a short silence. Then an intense clinking of someone frantically laying down metal instruments, and then Newt’s head pokes out of the case.

“Tina,” he sighs gratefully, “thank merlin,” he clambers the rest of the way out, awkwardly caught between standing beside Bunty or sitting by her on the bed. Eventually he settles for kneeling beside Tina, grinning at her dopily. 

“Newt,” she croaks softly, wanting desperately for him to be near her but wanting to prevent Bunty’s feelings. She can tell Bunty has the opposite problem: she looks slightly ill and is twisting her fingers together. Newt does not help the matter. 

“Bunty, Tina’s voice,” he berates her without turning round, concerned written across his features, “why didn’t you get her a cup of tea?” 

Tina mentally hits him on the head (but lightly- and she may have also kissed the spot she hit). Thankfully, his poor assistant is prevented from answering by the interruption of Einstein, and what seems to be a litter of nifflers exploding from the case. Her little champion practically leaps up onto her chest, and stands proudly, directing his other minions to from a semi-circle around her. One by one they empty their tiny pockets, until a small pile of diamonds and coins shine upon the bedspread. Finally, Einstein tucks a tiny paw in his pouch and pulls out a magnificent ring golden, set with a pearly white opal. He then quickly jumps down her night shirt and presses it in between her breasts not stopping, despite Tina’s spluttering, until seemingly satisfied it won’t be taken. Jumping out of her shirt, he then glares at Newt before placing two gentle paws on her thigh- the indication could not be clearer. Mine. 

“Niffler’s are very sentimental creatures, keeping their greatest treasures,” Newt says amused, “they like to give their best gifts to their, ah, ‘betrothed’ as it were, although I’m not quite sure yet what this is all about,” he waves a hand at her new collection of probably stolen goods. Tina bites her lip amused at Einstein’s clearly enamoured look, and collects him on her palm to kiss him on the cheek. The niffler puffs up his chest, at what must be the greatest moment so far in his short life, and sticks his tongue out at Newt who adorably frowns. 

“Well that won’t help my case at all,” he huffs, “I’ve tried to tell him nifflers can’t mate with humans, but would he listen? And now he’s gone and ‘marked’ you and all, by placing an engagement gift in your natural pocket,” he scoffs, raising a confused eyebrow when Tina chokes on air.

Bunty stands, clearly scandalised, stammering something about tea, and how ‘she’ll leave them alone,’ and Tina winces at her heartbroken expression. However quite unable to do anything, she’s left helpless as the girl leaves the room with a loud slam. 

“What’d I say?” Newt asks innocently, taking a seat on the bed, the extra weight causing Tina to slide closer towards him. 

“Natural pocket,” Tina nods down at her chest. Newt follows her eyeline, halts in horror, then blushes to the roots of his hair, avoiding her eye. Tina, pink in the face herself, grabs his hand consolingly. 

“Pay her a bit more this month perhaps,” she suggests, he gives an embarrassed grin. 

“Sorry my fault, I tend to ramble when it comes to things I find interesting,” he says, still red in the face, “just tell me if you ever want me to stop,”

“Never stop,” Tina says honestly, and he looks up amazed, “I love it when you ramble, I find everything you say interesting,”

Newt nods repeatedly, lips wobbling as if he wants to say something else but is unable. He settles for squeezing her hand, hard. Einstein, clearly offended attempts to pry his fingers off hers. 

“So he’s marked me, you say?” Tina giggles, and an almost Newt equally affronted pulls a coin out from his pocket and rolls it across the floor to the squealing delight of the babies, “I can’t remember that from your book,” she says bemused watching the tiny fur balls fight over the prize.

“You read it?” he asks, a hand jumping to his pocket.

“Yes,” she says quietly, looking down. They’ve reached dangerous territory now, she may as well begin.

“Listen Newt, I’m sorry, so sorry I stopped writing,” she attempts to retract her hand but he just holds on tighter.

“No I’m sorry," he says quickly, "I was an idiot insulting your profession, I don’t like aurors or how they work,” Tina scowls, “but I like you,” he pauses, gathering himself, and continues to look her in the eye, “and I like how you work, the most compassionate, brilliant,” he trails off, and warmth floods from Tina’s head to her toes. 

But she can’t pretend. She has to say this.

“It wasn’t just that,” she admits sadly, and Newt droops a little.

“Was it,” he asks in a slow, dejected manner, “Achilles Tolliver?” She could’ve slapped her and she would’ve been less surprised.

“Achilles?” Tina cries, “goodness no, I thought you’d gotten engaged to Leta Lestrange,”

“What!” Newt exclaims, equally distraught, “but she’s engaged to my brother,”

“I know,” Tina says reassuring, “he told me, but when we were writing, I thought,” she gathers her courage, “well I thought I was writing to you, like a woman writes to a man,” Newts face falls open in a soft ‘oh’, “so when I saw your apparent engagement announced in a paper I, well,” she bites her lip.

“You thought I was a right prat, I see,” Newt is smiling again, and she smiles back, in an understanding. That they’re both idiots. They sit in a comfortable silence, Newt is observing his cuticles and so Tina begins playing with her pyjama sleeve. They’re not her normal ones, but blue and yellow striped and made out of thick cotton. She feels rather than sees Newt watch her.

“They’re mine,” Newt says after a time “and so this is my room,” he looks round, “Theseus wanted to take you to St Mungos but I wouldn’t, couldn’t, let him,” he shakes his head, and takes her other hand.

“Why,” Tina says quietly, watching his shoulders shrug with defeat. He’s not wearing a coat or waistcoat. Just a shirt and braces. He looks stronger underneath his clothes than she would’ve expected. She licks her dry lips.

“Because… I had to know…” he actually crumples then, head in her hands, his lips accidentally brush her thumb and they both jump, “you almost died Tina,” he says into his bed sheets. 

“You almost died, in my arms and I hadn’t heard from you in months,” he gives a harsh laugh, “all I wanted to do is see you again, talk you to again, and I might’ve never gotten the chance,” he trails off, tilting upwards again, and stray tear falling down his cheek.

“Newt, I’m alright,” she says softly, leaning closer. Newt shakes her hands agitatedly.

“No you weren’t!” he says angrily, “you’ve been out cold for three days,” Tina looks around her, distraught. 

“But if I’ve been in your bed, where have you slept?” she asks him equally frustrated. If he answers ‘the chair’ she might kill him. 

He gapes at her, eyes wide, pupils blown. 

“Newt your creatures need you!” she scolds, “you can’t take care of them properly unless you’re well rested,” she gets one of hands go from his frozen state, a places it on his knee. He swallows hard, his adam’s apple bobbing. 

“I’ll fine, I'll always be fine, but they’ll always need you,” she tells him abrasively, “never put me in front of them,” he erratically turns his whole body to face her, his bottom lip trembling. He reaches up, and cups her face with both hands.

“I wanted to,” he says softly, “they’re my life, but you Tina,” she lets out a half sigh, half sob. Newt honestly looks like he might start bawling himself, but continues. 

“You’re not in behind or in front of them, you’re equal,” she shakes her head slightly hysterically. 

“Yes,” he says quietly, “they needed me, but you needed me more do you see?” 

“I think so,” she gives a wet laugh, pressing her nose into his, he smells even better than his bed, “so if two of your creatures swallowed basilisk venom,” he chuckles.

“Yes, then you’d be off to hospital,” he says and Tina kisses him.

She’d planned it to be only a simple press of lips, but then Newt threads his fingers through her hair and so she opens her mouth, and he drinks from her hungrily. 

“Stay,” he whispers between kisses, and she wraps her arms, tight, around him.

“Yes,” she sighs back and he growls and bites her bottom lip.

“Forever, please,” as she presses wet kisses down his jaw, before snuggling into his neck, “I can’t lose you again,” 

“You won’t,” she promises, as he sits his chin on top of her head, “because I like you,”

“You like me?” he says teasingly, “or like-like me,” she bites her tongue, grinning.

“Like-like,” and he wraps an arm around her.

“Me too,” he says and kisses her forehead, and she feels like flying, soaring above the clouds and bursting into fireworks, “love,” 

They sit like that for a while, Newt rubbing soft circles into her hip, Tina breathing him in. It’s as if their brains haven’t caught up with their actions yet and they need time to compose themselves on recent events. Every now and again they smile dopily at each other, and then one looks away, as if they’re sixteen again. He's not engaged, she kissed him, he kissed her back. And Mercy Lewis- he likes her. This amazing man. She kisses him on the cheek and he smiles, eyes crinkling. 

But there’s still one thing Tina wants answered.

“Hey, Newt,” she says, and but he's lost in staring at her. She digs him in the knee.

“What?” he asks.

“How’d you know about Achilles’?” she asks and Newt blanches, “I didn’t walk out with him or anything,” she reassures him hastily, “but I can’t remember writing to you about him?”

Newt bites his lip and Tina shoots him a dark look.

“Newt?” she asks suspiciously, but before Newt can answer the bedroom down breaks open. It’s Theseus, with a teapot and three cups on a tray. He looks grim but still manages to cock an infuriating eyebrow at them both. 

“What’s going on here then?” he asks cheekily, slamming down the tray at the end of the bed and placing his hands on his hips, “you know I’d tell you to get a room little brother, but it looks like you already have,” both Tina and Newt throw a pillow at him each (Newt’s he dodges, Tina’s hits him square in the face). 

“Tell us what you want or get out, Thes,” Newt rubs a tired hand over his eyes.

“Yes, right,” Theseus says quickly, “good you see you up, Tina,” he says slowly and Tina strongly suspects he’s avoiding the point.

“What is it?” she asks bluntly, and he sucks on one of his cheeks in obvious thought. Tina exchanges a worried look with Newt, who takes her hand again.

“We’ve found out who betrayed us,” he says after a time, “who told Grindlewald the fact we were going to contact Credence,”

“Right,” Tina says, pushing him on restlessly, wanting to know the name of the person that let Credence be taken. That led four, almost six people to their deaths.

“And Tina I’m so, so sorry,” Theseus grimaces, shaking his head in defeat “but it was your sister,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger again, it's the last one, promise! (For this story at least). I also noticed that my last chapter was full of dialogue, so I attempted to put in some more description here. Feel free to tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the bombshell Theseus already dropped, what does Tina find Newt's also hiding from her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! I'm thinking of coming back to this, perhaps doing some scenes in Newt's Pov, but for now...Enjoy the ending!

Tina stares at Theseus blankly. She dumbly hears Newt consoling her, but it’s no louder than a fly wing. What is loud is the blood in her ears, a pounding disbelief that her baby sister could do such a thing. She remembers when she was born, a pink, wriggly baby, balanced on her Mama’s knee. She rocked her when she cried throughout the night, smiled when she laughed, gummy mouth wide with joy. Then when their parents died, they were it for each other, each, each others best friend. Tina remembers punching a Wampus boy in the face when he called a twelve-year-old Queenie 'the devil' for her reading his mind. (Two weeks detention). She remembers an eighteen-year-old Queenie braiding her hair for her first socialite ball she’d been invited to by MACUSA (Queenie wasn’t young enough to go, but told her she looked beautiful enough for the both of them). Queenie was her rock, Queenie always understood, could always understand. Queenie was her only family. And she almost got her killed? 

“She,” Tina can’t even bring herself to say it, “there must be some mistake,” she nods repeatedly, desperately, convincing herself. Yes another woman, a blonde, bubbly woman who got mistaken for Queenie. Or perhaps she was taken, tortured, forced to give up the information.

“There wasn’t a mistake,” Theseus says sadly, pulling a telegram from his pocket, “I’m afraid ‘Miss Queenie Goldstein confessed under veritaserum to exposing the top secret plan to go find Credence in Paris, and Grindlewald and his followers acted as they saw fit’,” he spits out the last few words.

Newt is attempting to hold her close to him, but Tina flails, pushing him away, holding her stomach. She might be sick. Newt rubs her lower back softly as she attempts to gather herself.

“Give us more details, Theseus, there must be more to this,” he asks his brother steadily, as if calming a particularly dangerous beast. 

Theseus however is making the tea. He places three large scoops of sugar into Tina’s cup before handing it to her, as well as a little something from a hidden flask in his pocket.

“Apparently Grindlewald had been posing as an MACUSA member- a man called Abernathy,” Tina gives a shaky sigh, of course that scumbag fell under Grindlewald’s spell, Theseus lingers again, waiting to give the final blow.

“They’ve all escaped from your countries custody, and are heading to Europe- Grindlewald, Abernathy and…Queenie,” Theseus hangs his head, and she hears Newt hiss a swear under his breath. She squeezes her toes tightly, underneath the blankets. Perhaps this is all a dream, she’s still under the venom's influence and she’s about to wake up. She pinches her arm- hard. Nope.

“Why,” Newt says incredulous, gripping Tina’s arm tightly. Now he sounds nervous; Tina caresses his hand gently and he gives her a small smile, “why would she do such a thing?” 

“Queenie had apparently sought him out, said he was the only one who had ‘the answer’,” Newt tilts his head like a confused puppy, but Theseus looks at Tina rather expectantly. She swallows hard, self-hatred filling and exploding out of her as tears.

“It’s all my fault,” she sobs, tears rushing down her face and pooling at her collar, “she was seeing Jacob,” Newt sighs shrewdly, his head falling back on the head of the bed “I told her not to, said I didn’t support her,” she just manages to talk between shuddering breaths. Her tea spills all over her lap, burning her skin but she hardly feels it. No pain could be worse than what she’s already feeling, “I led her to that monster’s arms,” 

“Love, that wouldn't have changed anything,” Newt says gently, brushing a lock of her hair back in place. Pain is written all over his face, "not if she'd made up her mind,"

“But it could’ve done,” she whimpers, “if I hadn’t gotten so angry, if I’d stayed, actually talked to her, instead of arguing, instead of running away like a coward,” she throws her cup, hard, at the wall. Pieces of china litter the floor. The men stay silent. Tina squeezes her eyes shut, not wanting to see their empathy or even worse- their sympathy. 

“Tina,” Theseus eventually begins, “you’re not a coward, you saved my life. I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for you,” Tina scoffs, rolling her eyes pathetically. 

“That was nothing, I was just doing my job,” Tina says helplessly. 

“It wasn’t nothing,” Theseus says fiercely, “we would’ve died, Leta’s wants to invite to out for lunch to say thank you,” Now Newt’s the one to roll his eyes and Theseus shoots him a glare. 

“It’s just,” Tina bites her lip, staring down at the damp sheets,” She’s my family, my only family I’ve got left, and now…” she throws up her hand in despair. 

Newt cups her cheek with one hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Tina leans into his touch, blinking rapidly. Theseus looks pointedly away.

“I’ll be your family,” he says softly, and a few stray tears plink down her face, “I’m your family, and Einstein’s your family, and all my creatures if you want them too,” he gives a nod down to the case, and Tina gives him a wet smile.

“Of course I want them,” she says simply, “I couldn’t imagine life without them now,” and Newt smiles, but a little shakily, green eyes focused on her cheek. What’d she say? Theseus gives a slight cough, and out of the corner of her eye she sees him point at Newt discreetly. 

“Oh!” She cries, pecking Newt’s cheek. He sighs in relief, “of course I want you, I can’t imagine anyone I want more, to be…” she’s distinctly aware of Theseus’s presence at the end of the bed, she leans into Newt's ear. 

“Family,” she murmurs. Her face flushes at the connotation, however Newt’s eyes are bright with joy. He kisses her softly, and she hangs on to his shoulders like a life line.  
Theseus clears his throat and they break apart, and Newt rubbing the back of his neck in a pleased type of way. 

“I’ll be glad when I get to call you family too, Tina,” he says unabashedly and Tina has never found a pair of curtains so fascinating. Amused he stands, and finishes his tea, “I’ve got to get back to the ministry,” he walks towards the door, however stops at the door frame, and turns around to face her, “I know it’s probably the last thing you’re thinking about, but if you ever want a job at the ministry of magic, we’d be happy to have an auror like you,” he gives her a tight smile.

Tina’s mouth hangs open. She thinks about returning to New York, to the apartment filled with memories, now to be forever tainted. She thinks of Maud’s friendly chatter, Einstein’s furry face, Theseus’s clear respect and Newt’s…Love? 

“I might take you up on that,” she says nodding, and he tilts his head at her proudly. Newt is staring at her disbelievingly. 

“Good,” he says, and summons his coat from downstairs, “see you then Newt, Tina,” and disapperates. 

As soon as he’s gone Newt pouches.

“Did you mean it? You want to stay, here in England?” he asks, stumbling over his words in his hurry to get them out. His lips hesitantly trace the words 'with me,' and Tina smiles.

“Of course,” she replies sincerely, “I don’t want to return to a city full of ghosts, and besides,” she takes his hand, “there are other benefits,”

“You’re a wonder, Porpentina,” he whispers, kissing her palm, “I’m sorry about your sister,” 

“Don’t please,” she shakes her head, smile falling off her face, “not now,” he holds her hand tighter.

“Okay, whenever you’re ready,” he says, looking down, “although I do have something to confess to you,” Tina feels worried creases form on her forehead. 

“I may have already known about Jacob and Queenie,” Tina rips her hand out of his.

“What?” she asks, abrasive, arms folded. Newt rushes to reassure her. 

“Not from Queenie, and I didn't know about anything she was planning to do,” he looks so honestly disgusted that Tina can’t help believing him, but it doesn’t stop her being mad, “I received a letter from Jacob, after his memory came back, thanking me for the occamy eggs,”

Tina nods, but still doesn’t unfold her arms. Newt sighs, upset, and continues.

“We kept communicating, and, well, it was clear they were seeing each other,” Newt sucks in his cheeks, “some of the things he told me…well they shocked me,”

“Like what?” she asks slightly gentler, curious. 

“Well, Jacob was clear that he also didn’t want Queenie to end up in prison because of him,” Tina’s eyes widen in surprise, she lets her arms fall.

“Did he?” she says flabbergasted. 

“Yes,” he looks relieved she’s letting her guard back down, “once apparently, Queenie wanted them to go to a magical bar and Jacob refused to go, so she,” Newt pauses unsure, “charmed him,” 

“Charmed him?” Tina squeaks, horrified. Guilt crashes over her in waves. How did she not see what her little sister was doing?

“Yes, Jacob was not happy it’s safe to say,” he chuckles awkwardly.

“Did you find out anything else?” Tina presses him. Newt looks down refusing to meet her gaze.

“No,” he says quietly, “it was around the time you stopped writing to me, and then all I wanted to hear was how you were doing,” he traces casual patterns on his blanket with one hand, “that’s how I heard about Achilles’ you see,” 

“But I swear Tina, I didn’t know she was going over to Grindlewald,” he meets her eyes earnestly, “if I did…” he shrugs pathetically, shaking his head still clearly in disbelief. 

Tina ponders on her current state. It honestly doesn’t surprise her that Jacob and Newt wrote to each other. She’s just hurt. Hurt that her sister didn’t tell her, hurt that Newt wouldn’t tell her. But then again, knowing how she would’ve reacted, how she did react. She’s not sure she blames them. She is a stickler for the rules- as the people she cares about know too well. 

Newt’s still tracing patterns. She watches him for a moment, and smiles softly when he draws a heart. Tina entwines their fingers, and Newt kisses the top of her head gratefully. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he whispers in her ear, “Jacob said Queenie wanted to tell you herself, and I didn’t want to break her trust,”

“It’s okay, I forgive you,” she replies, honestly, “it’s not your fault she kept their relationship from me,” she says gloomily. 

“You didn’t react well I take it?” He asks softly.

“I caught them kissing, and well,” she sighs wearily, “we both said some things, that I at least, regret deeply,” 

“Yes well, we’ve all been foolhardy when to comes to the people we love,” Newt says sensibly, “and I'm sure Queenie regrets what she said too, love, deep down,”

Tina smiles sadly, disbelievingly. 

“I don’t think so,” she says softly. Newt looks at her understandingly, and holds out his arms. 

Tina presses her head into Newt’s chest and he moulds himself to her. She can hear his heart, the steady beats. It calms her, the consistency of him, his strength, and she snuggles in deeper. She feels his finger twist through her hair, near the point of her neck, and goose bump erupt where every now and again he brushes her skin. In retaliation she kisses his chest, making her way towards the buttons in the middle of his shirt, giggling when she feels his heart race faster.

“Enough,” Newt hums, dragging her upwards to kiss her properly, to Tina’s delight. 

“I have something for you,” he says after time, as they lay together, Tina’s pyjamas askew, her lips satisfying sore. 

“What?” she says. 

Newt reaches into his pocket, and drags out a pristine copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He hands it over to her reverently and she runs a finger over the spine.

“I figure the woman who came up with the name of my book, deserves her promised copy,” He says, and Tina laughs with joy, “even if she’s already got her own,”

“I’ll treasure this one,” she says truthfully, thumbing lightly through the book. A picture from a paper, falls out of its pages. She picks it up. It’s a photo of her, smiling at the camera. Newt’s face is bright red.

“What is this?” she asks him in surprise.

“I found your picture in a paper,” he says looking tenderly between her and the photo, “I didn’t have a picture of you, and I wanted to be able to look at you, sometimes,” Tina’s lips tremble with emotion.

“But why was it in this book?” she asks incredulously. 

“It was there,” he points to the empty spot on the inside of his case, “but I thought, now,” he stumbles seemingly unsure, “perhaps we could take one together?” Tina breathes out a happy smile, but Newt is too involved in his embarrassment to notice.

“Perhaps it’s not worth it now, I mean you’re staying here now, so I’ll see you all the time,” he says timidly, hastily, trying to take the words back, “it’s just your hair is different, and I’d like to have a proper photo, to put on my desk, but it doesn’t matter,”

“Newt, I’d love to,” Tina cheeks hurt from smiling.

“Really?” Newt says, eyes unsure.

“Of course,” she says, hitting him lightly on the arm, “but can we get two done?”

“Two?” he asks dumbly.

“Yes,” she says softly, “so I can put one on my desk too,”  
“Yes,” he says breathlessly, looking at her as if he can’t believe she’s real, Tina bites her lip, still grinning, “Yes,” they stare at each other, entranced. 

“Newt!” Bunty’s voice suddenly calls up the stairs, “the kelpie needs more ointment,”

“Yes, right,” Newt shakes off the spell, stands and holds out his hand to her, she takes it, standing on shakily legs, “do you want to help? It’s easier with two,”

“I’d like that,” she nods, delighted, “however promise me, to give me some time alone with Bunty, I have to apologise to her,” she says, as they make their way down two flights of stairs into Newt’s magical hospital, Tina stares round in wonder, “oh Newt, this is incredible,”

“I’m glad you like it,” Newt says proudly, wrapping an arm around her waist, “but apologise to Bunty, why?” Tina glances at a solitary figure, stubbornly refusing to look their way near a pen of hippogriffs.

“I’ll tell you later,” she pats his arm, at his innocent look. She wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t believe her. 

“Okay,” he shrugs pulling her towards a pool of water, where Tina can just catch a glimpse of a weedy creature, swimming in the murky depths.

“Do you want to have a go riding him?” Newt asks her elated, practically bouncing on his toes. Tina shares his enthusiasm, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Yes!” she cries, and Newt grips her hand tightly, stealing a kiss onto her cheek.

“Get ready to jump,” he whispers in her ear, and Tina nods, preparing herself. 

And they do. Together. (Finally).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? I hope everyone liked it.  
> I really hope there's a scene in the next one where Newt flat out tells Bunty- no she can't help him do something- and then Tina bounds down the stairs back from work and Newt's like 'Tina darling, love of my life, do you want to help me?' and Tina's so excited and Bunty's so pissed, and Theseus is like 'brother where is your tact?'.  
> And with the Queenie charming Jacob thing- it just felt like in the movie, he was mad, but also not surprised. So I just have a feeling that she'd done it before-just my opinion though!

**Author's Note:**

> Is this okay? I don't know, let me know.  
> Sorry if the tenses got a bit weird at the beginning, changing tense isn't my strong suit!


End file.
